One Center’s Experience with Hybrid Technique for Lumbar Spine Instrumentated Surgeries: Evaluation of Different Instrumentation Systems and Their Management

Gait analysis, trunk movements, and electromyographic patterns after minimally invasive spine surgery for lumbar instability: An observational prospective study

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate trunk kinematics and spine muscle activation during walking after minimally invasive surgery in patients with L4-L5 degenerative spondylolisthesis suffering from lumbar instability (LI).

Methods

Eleven patients suffering from LI and 13 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Trunk kinematics and spine muscle activation patterns during walking were collected. Maximal trunk ranges of motion were also recorded from standing position. Assessments were performed pre-operatively (T0), 1 month (T1) and 3 months (T2) after MIS.

Results

We found significant improvement in spine muscle activation during walking at T2 compared to T0, mainly involving right/left symmetry at the operated level (L4-L5) and up-down synchronization from L3 to S1. Significant improvements in trunk rotation nearing to the HC group during walking were also found at T2 after surgery, though no changes were observed in the maximal range of motion of the trunk during standing. Furthermore, trunk rotation improvement correlated with a lower grade of residual disability.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that trunk rotation improves after surgery, and impaired aspects of spine muscle activation can be improved with surgery. These biomechanical parameters could represent novel tools for monitoring the effect of surgery in LI and preventing impaired spine mobility and muscle activation.

Patient-Oriented Aesthetic Outcome After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A 1-Year Follow-Up Prospective Observational Study Comparing Minimally Invasive and Standard Open Procedures

BACKGROUND

Despite recent treatment developments, back pain and related disabilities still represent a challenge for practitioners. Among the available surgical techniques, many different features and outcomes have been investigated; however, aesthetic result was missing among them. The present investigation was designed to prospectively compare patient-oriented aesthetic results after minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and standard open surgery (SOS) for the lumbar spine.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational study with 1-year follow-up. Patients who underwent SOS were assigned to group 1 and MIS to group 2. Patient-oriented aesthetic result evaluation was collected using a dedicated visual aesthetic analogue scale. The Vancouver Scar Scale was used to exclude objective underlying influencing factors. The Oswestry Disability Index and a 10-point itemized visual analogue scale for back pain were administered to assess the clinical and functional status. Follow-up data were collected before discharge at 1, 6, and 12 months. Statistical analysis was conducted, and P < 0.05 was considered as significant.

RESULTS

We enrolled 74 patients, 44 in group 1 and 30 in group 2. The 2 groups were homogeneous for demographic and clinical data. No clinical or functional differences were measured at the end of follow-up. Visual aesthetic analogue scale reported greater mean values in group 1 at every follow-up time.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients seem to prefer the aesthetic result from a single midline incision after SOS compared with MIS. The use of specific techniques could be considered if there is scientific evidence reporting greater aesthetic outcome, having similar clinical and functional ones.